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Carl Koch (architect)

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Albert Carl Koch
Born11 May 1912
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Died3 July 1998
Cambridge, Massachusetts
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArchitect
PracticeCarl Koch & Associates
BuildingsTechbuilt System

Carl Koch ( May 11, 1912– 3 July 3, 1998) was a noted American architect. He was most associated with the design of prefabricated homes and development of the Techcrete building system.

Education

He was born Albert Carl Koch, Jr. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 11, 1912. He was educated at Harvard College and received his Master of Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He completed his studies in 1937. The time he spent at Harvard overlapped with arrival of Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus in Germany.[1]

Koch served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.[2] In April 1944, he was recruited for transfer to the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program of the Allied Military Government in the European Theater of Operations, where he served in Germany with other ‘Monuments Men.’[2]

Career

After completing his education, Koch moved to Sweden where he briefly worked for Modernist architect Sven Markelius.[3] He returned to the United States in 1941 when he began teaching at Harvard University and also began work on Snake Hill,[4] a set of conventionally built houses including one for himself that incorporated modern concepts in Belmont, Massachusetts.

In one of the earliest examples of prefabrication, Koch and two associates created the "Acorn House"[5] in 1947, which was designed to be be assembled from parts in one day and then be "demountable" to move elsewhere. Although prototypes were built, the designs never caught on, possibly due to resistence from local building officials and financers.[6] Koch considered the Acorn House his "one best idea: one that in any reasonable world would have brought comfort to millions." The cost in 1949 was intended to be $4,500 of which all labor costs were supposed to be $350."[7]

After a number of false starts in the design of housing that could be fabricated from parts, he finally met with success with the 1953 "TechBuilt" house.[8] [9] With 90 franchised "builder-dealers" using parts from 4 factories, it is estimated that there were eventually more than 3000 Techbuilt houses in 32 states.[6] In the Techbuilt house, the post and beam system (which makes interior walls non-loadbearing) combined with a variety of modular exterior wall panels (in 4' and 8' widths) permits the client to easily customize the design.

In his 1958 book "At Home with Tomorrow",[7] Koch laid out a philosophy of an "industrial house" that could use prefabrication of parts to design homes that better suited people's needs and could be build cost-effectively and quickly. He questioned the prevailing view that people bought houses to looks like their neighbors. Although to modern ears some of the gender assumptions about how people live in this book are jarring, the basic ideas about the usefulness of prefabrication and modern design still ring true in the 21st century.

Larger Housing Developments

Koch was also a pioneer in cluster housing, designing the 104-unit Conantum in Concord, Massachusetts[10] one of first of its kind in New England[11]. In later years, he became involved in large-scale housing projects in Boston and New York associated with the urban renewal movement.

The dream of cutting both time and costs was not without controversy. In Boston's Roxbury section, residents demonstrated to allow more community control in local development over the Academy Homes project [12] underway there, even if it resulted in some inefficiences. Koch believed the goals of technological advancement and citizen involvement could be reconciled. He recommended that neighborhood residents be given a larger role in the Techrete process and in planning of the neighborhood itself.[13]

An Early Example of "Adaptive Reuse"

In his project to transform Lewis Wharf into luxury housing, Koch embarked on a dual role of architect and developer.[14] Completed in 1973, his reuse of the beautiful but obsolete 19th century structure predated the better-known redevelopment of historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace by architect Ben Thompson and developer James Rouse in 1976.

Projects

Publications

  • Koch, Carl; Lewis, Andy (1958). At Home with Tomorrow. New York: Rinehart & Company.
  • Koch, Carl (1959), "Design and the Industrialized House", in Kelly, Burnham (ed.), Design and Production of Houses, New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 83–111
  • Koch, Carl; Lewis, Roger K. (1968). Roadblocks to Innovation in the Housing Industry. Washington: National Commission on Urban Problems.

Legacy

Carl Koch is known for his successful early designs for prefabricated housing. Progressive Architecture magazine gave him the unofficial title "The Grandfather of Prefab" in 1994.[21] In total, over 3,000 Techbuilt homes were sold.[1]

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b "Carl Koch". National Trust for Historic Preservation. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Koch, Lt. Albert C., Jr., USNR | Monuments Men Foundation". MonumentsMenFdn. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  3. ^ McCallum, Ian (1959), Architecture U. S. A., New York: Reinhold Pub. Corp., pp. 170–174, hdl:2027/mdp.39015009424741
  4. ^ a b Gutheim, Frederick (1957), One hundred years of architecture in America, 1857–1957, celebrating the centennial of the American Institute of Architects., New York: Reinhold Pub. Corp., hdl:2027/mdp.39015006723400
  5. ^ a b "Case Study: Mid-Century Modern Deck Houses". Aamodt/Plumb.
  6. ^ a b Clouette, Bruce (November 2012). Mid-century Modern Houses of Lexington, Massachusetts, National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. National Archive Catalog.
  7. ^ a b Koch, Carl; Lewis, Andy (1958). At Home with Tomorrow. New York and Toronto: Rinehart & Company.
  8. ^ "The Techbuilt Idea". The Techbuilt House. June 15, 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  9. ^ Ford, Katherine (1955), Designs for living; 175 examples of quality home interiors., New York: Reinhold Pub. Corp., pp. 22–23, hdl:2027/mdp.39015006327749
  10. ^ a b "Conantum: A Neighborhood in Concord, Massachusetts". Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  11. ^ Long, Tom (10 July 1998). "Carl Koch, 86;noted architect of prefab homes, cluster housing". The Boston Globe. p. 31.
  12. ^ "The Architecctural History of Egleston Square". Jamaica Plains HIstorical Society. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  13. ^ Stevens, William K. (2 November 1968). "Negro Drive Bars Housing Advance". New York Times. p. 16.
  14. ^ Yudis, Anthony J. (30 March 1969). "Lewis Wharf acid test for Koch". The Boston Globe. p. 177.
  15. ^ "Area I Middle Ridge/Turning Mill". Town of Lexington, MA. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  16. ^ "You'll Never Outgrow These Fine Techbuilt Houses in Lexington". The Boston Globe. 16 September 1956. p. 103.
  17. ^ 1967 brochure
  18. ^ "Architects of Mout Holyoke Buildings". Mount Holyoke LITS. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Spruce Hill Road: Historical Narrative". Town of Weston. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  20. ^ Yudis, Anthony (26 November 1972). "Village-by-the-sea visualized for Boston waterfront". The Boston Globe. p. 144.
  21. ^ Long, Tom (1998). "Carl Koch, 86; noted architect". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 15 August 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  22. ^ "Architect Koch honored in prefabrication field". The Boston Globe. 2 February 1969. p. 146.
  23. ^ "Pioneer's Award for Cambridge Architect". The Boston Globe. 5 November 1967. p. 176.
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